Hello people and welcome to 2016. The year where change and
all things are possible. It’s also time for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group
post, hosted by Alex Cavenaugh. Hello Alex!
This month’s post: ENCOURAGEMENT (not just for writers)
The words “push notifications” have been on my mind for a while.
After publishing my third book, Time Trials, a little over a month ago, someone recently asked
“when is the fourth coming out?” Legitimate question, of course. But at the
time, I felt like an inflatable yard art snowman and someone had just pulled
the plug on the blower.
My last post was “The Birth of a Book” which for me took 2
years (long story). So, I guess when I heard “when is the fourth coming out” it
was like someone asking when was I going to give birth again as I was wheeled out
of the delivery room.
I envy writers who sit down and punch out book after book. A
recent Facebook post by a fellow author said his New Year’s resolution was to
publish 3 books (and was already 20,000 words into one). Are you kidding me?
GOSHDARNITALLTOHECK…
I have my little “to do” list all made out…let me see, I
have it here somewhere. Oh well, I’ll find it eventually. I felt pretty good
yesterday just getting my 2016 calendar up on my bulletin board and oh yeah, paying bills that were due on the 1st.
Push. Push. Push. My thesaurus refers to words like assault,
attack, thrust, charge, forcing, nudge, prod, shove.
Notification. Notification. Notification: bulletin, warning,
advertisement, advisory, notice...
By now, we’re all familiar with push notifications on our
phones: AMBER Alerts, Weather Alerts, flight information, ESPN updates, breaking news, etc.
Then I
realized my push notifications were internal...self-imposed.
What am I going to do next? Write another novel? Bring out the children’s book I wrote 7 yrs. ago? Try a $.99 book? Try, try, try to get BookBub to accept Partly Sunny for a promo? Get professional reviews on Time Trials? Sweep the floor? Change the air filter? Re-arrange the books on my bookshelf?
Oh the pressure, the pressure, the pressure.
I felt my knees about to buckle when finally, the voice of
reason in my head (where the heck have you been???) yells “stop you big baby!
TURN OFF YOUR PUSH NOTIFICATIONS!”
So…I did. There, much better. Once again, how many times
have I had to repeat the words to myself, or rather listen to them from my
inner (and much wiser) self? No one is pushing or chasing me for that matter.
It’s not a race.
Who needs enemies, right?
Therefore, if you find you are your own notification pusher, put
the hammer down. Deep breathe. It’ll get done. Or not. But the sun will still
rise in the east and set in the west. Might as well enjoy the journey.
(Sigh) Okay, no push notifications for me. Now
where’s that little “to do” list?
Cheers in 2016 to all...
Amazing post. Your metaphors about starting the fourth book made me giggle. Yes, I felt just like you after my third mystery published in October. Great advice on turning off the self imposed notifications. Very wise.
ReplyDeleteThanks J Q Rose! Glad you "get" my metaphors! Now, if I can just remember my own advice...:)
DeleteYou will appreciate the fact that I set all my bills up on auto pay. How hard is it to remember to pay on time? A lot, evidently.
ReplyDeleteMy push brain darn near shut me down last year. I started 2015 certain I could be like those authors you spoke of, but I'm not. I can pound out a book in a week, but they are never good. This year, I want to return to the enjoying part of the writing process.
Yep, auto pay ought to be a no-brainer, right? Hooray for getting back to the joy of writing...along with a tad of agony at times:)
DeleteI like that way of thinking! Sometimes you just have to let it flow naturally.
ReplyDeleteSometimes when it seems like my fingers are forcing words to come out, I realize I'm critiquing/over-thinking as I'm writing. Then I have to stop & give myself permission to just write and edit later. Sometimes it works:)
DeleteI'm sure no motivational speaker in the world would recommend this - but I tend to not set firm goals for myself until AFTER I've already made good headway on a project. If I set them before I've even begun, I freak and get nothing accomplished.
ReplyDeleteYour comment makes me laugh! Yeah, I'm afraid a motivational speaker would throw their hands up if they met me:) I seem to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants gal:)
DeleteGotta find a pace that works.
ReplyDeleteright on!
DeleteLOL! It's a heavy business, this publishing thing. I've had readers nudging me for a year and I'm right there with you. Gosh, I wish I could write fast or spend all day working, but let's face it, I'm a home schooling mom to 4 (one of whom is an infant), so writing just has to happen when it happens. Here's to going at our own speed!
ReplyDeleteHere! Here! Glass raised:)
DeleteCrystal, thanks for stopping by!